Cotton cleaner and condenser.



PATENTED OCT. 1,. 1907.

B. RBAGAN. COTTON CLEANER AND oonnnusnn.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1906.

WlTNESSES:

A TTORNE 1X9 101: mums FETlIS ca, \usullvcron, o. c.

UNITFD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR REAGAN, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO REAGAN BALE COMPANY, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed July 7, 1906. Serial No. 325,124.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR REAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Cotton Cleaner and Condenser, of Which'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton cleaning and condensing machinery, and has for its principal object to provide a machine of simple construction by which cotton received from a lint flue may be thoroughly cleaned and condensed into the form of a bat of uniform thickness and density throughout its width and length, so that it may be subsequently formed into a round bale.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type in which the receiving or condensing rollers are provided at each end with enlarged flanges, which will prevent the passage of cotton between the ends of the rollers and the walls of the casing, and will form a hat of uniform width and having square edges.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type in whichthe dirt and trash are delivered to a collecting box at the lower portion of the machinefand to provide a suitable valve between the machine and the collecting box, the valve being so COHSlSl'llClIOdyflS to permit ready closing in case of fire in order to prevent draft and to quickly extinguish the fire by cutting off the supply of air.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type in which the air outlets open downward from the machine, so that there will be no upwardly extending flues to cause a draft in case of fire, and a still further object in this connection is to provide a fire gate or gates at the discharge end of the lint flue, so'that communication between the fine and the machine may be instantly cut off.

With these andother objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a cotton cleaning and condensing machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the driving means. Fig. 3 is a detail view of portions of the two receiving and bat forming rollers.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The working parts of the machine are arranged within a suitable casing 10, which may be formed of any material, and said casing is provided at one side with an entrance opening 11 that communicates with the upper end of a lint fiue 12, leading from a gin orother source of supply, and at the opposite side is a discharge opening 13 through which the cleaned cotton passes in the form of a bat to the press or other point. The side walls of the casing-are provided with bearings for the reception of a drum shaft 14 and a pair of receiving roller shafts 15 and 16.

On the shaft 14 is mounted a perforated spike drum 18 of large diameter and provided with a large num-- screen 20 which is curved to conform to a portion of i the contour of the drum, and said screen carries a' number of beater ribs 21 against which the lint is thrown for the purpose of dislodging the dirt and trash, the majority of the dirt and trash being forced through said screen and passing through the lower portion of the casing or through a suitable discharge flue. In case the supply at one end of the drum is larger than the supply at the opposite end, the fingers will card the cotton and will throw the same into the upper portion of the casing, so as to afford opportunity for the equal distribution of the cotton throughout the width of said casing and permit the formation of a hat of uniform thickness and density.

The receiving rollers 23 and 24 which are mounted on the shafts 15 and 16, respectively, are rotated at a much slower speed than the drum 18, so as to cause an accumulation of cotton between thev receiving rollers and the spike drum, and these receiving rollers are adjustable in order to alter the distance between them and permit the formation of a bat of any desired thickness. The opposite ends of the receiving rollers are provided with enlarged annular flanges 25 which close the space between the drums and permit the formation of a bat having perfectly square edges. These flanges further serve as guards to prevent the entrance of cotton between the ends of the drums and the side walls of the casing, so that there will be no undue friction at this point, and no danger of overheating the cotton and causing fire.

Pivoted to the frame or casing at each side of the machine, is an arm 26, and the lower ends of these arms carry bearings for the reception of the opposite ends of the shaft 27 of a condensing roller 28. At each end of the shaft 27 is a depending lug 28 having an opening for the passage of an eye bolt 29 that is pivoted on a stud 30 carried by the fixed frame.

The upper portion of the eye bolt is threaded for the reception of an adjustable hand nut 31, and between the inner face of this nut and the lug 28 is a helical compression spring 32 that tends to force the condensing roller 28 inward against the lower receiving roller 27 for the purpose of condensing and solidifying the bat.

The shaft 14 is provided with a belt pulley 34 that receives motion from any suitable source of power, and on this shaft is a sprocket wheel 35 over which passes a link belt 36, said belt extending also over a pair of sprocket wheels 37 on the shafts 15 and 16, and a sprocket wheel 38 on the shaft of the condensing roller. The gears are so proportioned that the receiving and condensing rollers have the same surface speed, while the toothed drum rotates at a much higher rate of speed for the purpose of removing the dirt and trash from the cotton and causing an accumulation of cotton above the receiving drums.

At the discharge end of the lint flue 12 is arranged a fire gate 40 which may be readily closed in order to shut off communication between the gin and the cleaner in case of fire. As an additional precaution, a discharge fine 42 through which the dirt and trash passes, and which also serves as a discharge bucket for the air current from the gin leads downward to the lower portion of the casing of the cleaner, instead of upward, as usual, and in case of fire there will be no upwardly directed fine whereby a natural draft may be created. At a point below the screen 20 is a partition 45 in which is arranged a valve 46. This valve may be closed in case of fire, being moved to a position'in alinement with the partition in order to instantly cut off the out flow of air, and by closing the casing of the cleaner and cutting off the air supply, any fire may be quickly extinguished.

It will be seen that the toothed drum will catch and carry the cotton around at a rapid rate of speed, and the cotton will be thrown off by centrifugal force, avoiding packing or batting of the cotton on the pcriphery of the drum, so that the current of air may freely flow through the perforations of the drum. in case of unequal feeding, the toothed drum will act to card the excess cotton, and by throwing the same upward into the path of entering current of air in the lint flue, will afford an opportunity of more equal distribution before the bat is formed. The end flanges of the receiving rollers are further of value in that the bat will have perfectly square edges, and accumulations of cotton between the ends of the receiving rollers and the side walls of the casing with resultant increase in friction and danger of lire is prevented.

I claim:

In a cotton cleaningand condensing machine, the com bination with a casing, of a lint ilue leading thereto, a valve controlling communication between the flue and the casing, a beating druni mounted in the casing, a portion ol the periphery of the drum extending above the inlet open ing from the fine, so that the cotton will he directed on to the upper portion of said drum, :1 pair of but forming rollers arranged within the casing at a point; opposite the inlet opening, a curved screen surroundingthe lower portion of the drum and through which the dirt is forced, a dirt flue below the screen, a partition arranged llelow the screen and separating the same from the tlue, and a valve forming a part of said partition and movable to close the passage in the event of lire.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ElltAll lllCAtIAN.

Witnesses I. ll. TART/FOX, P. II. SWEARINGJON. 

